COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCSC) - South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster praised the state’s law enforcement officers Thursday morning but said their wages are inadequate.

McMaster and state lawmakers announced a plan to increase law enforcement officer pay that would South Carolina ahead of Georgia and North Carolina at a Thursday morning news conference.

He said results of a six-week study by the state’s Department of Administration found that in many cases, salaries were not commensurate with officers’ expertise and performance.

The study found the state’s entry-level law enforcement jobs pay about $40,000 per year, Department of Administration Executive Director Marsha Adams said, which is in stark contrast to the average private-sector worker, whose salary increased in December to about $56,900 per year.

“And it’s important to note that these [private sector] positions do not have the inherent risk that you have with law enforcement officer positions,” Adams said.

McMaster said that the state must rectify that salary shortfall.

The first recommendation included an increase for Class One law enforcement officers’ base pay to $43,500.

They also called for a 5% raise for Class One law enforcement officers with years of experience or to increase their salary to the new $43,500 base, whichever is higher.

In six state agencies in which the base pay is already above $43,500, there are 73 officers who will not receive the increase.

The study also analyzed pay for four specific state...

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